It is known to provide braking systems for a motor vehicle in which the bumper is actuable, on contact with an obstruction, to generate a detector signal which causes the automatic application of the vehicle's brakes. One example of such a braking system is shown in my pending U.S. patent application No. 070,796 filed July 7, 1987, now abandoned, entitled Motor Vehicle Braking System.
Trucks and the like using hydraulically operated tailgate systems cannot use a rear safety bumper of this type because the bumper would interfere with the operation of the tailgate system.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a bumper assembly which allows a rear bumper to be used on a motor vehicle having a tailgate assembly.